Iowa DOT News Release

Where are the Iowa DOT snowplows? Find out now online

Posted on: January 17, 2014

AMES, Iowa – Jan. 17, 2014 – One of the most common winter storm-related questions asked of the Iowa Department of Transportation is “where are the snowplows?” Now the answer to this question can be found online on either desktop or mobile devices.

This snowplow map is just one tool you can access from the Iowa DOT’s website, www.iowadot.gov. Once on the main page, click on “plan ahead” and then “winter driving.” This page is a one-stop shop for information related to winter driving can help you make smarter travel decisions before you venture out on the road.

To find out if and where snowplows are working in your area, click on the Iowa DOT’s “Snowplow locations” link on the winter driving Web page. Once you are on the map, snowplow icons will show you the current location of each truck working to keep your roads safe.

For more detailed information, click on an individual snowplow icon to see when the snowplow location was last reported, what direction the snowplow was traveling, and the reported air temperature. Data is fed automatically to the map from each Iowa DOT snowplow every two minutes.

Eric Abrams, the Iowa DOT’s geographic information systems team leader, said, “The driving factor behind technology we implement is to help our customers stay safe. This is just one more piece of information that travelers can use to see what is happening on the roadways and make more informed decisions regarding their travel plans.”